# List of city parks and recreation facilities of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown, Pennsylvania is nationally-known for its park system.

## History

Much of the initial planning and funding of Allentown's park system began in the early 20th century, supported by Harry Clay Trexler, a local industrialist who was inspired by the City Beautiful movement. Trexler brought in B. A. Haldeman, a nationally known city park consultant, to Allentown, and Haldeman provided the plans for the development of the growing city. J. Franklin Meehan of Philadelphia was the landscape architect who laid out many of the city's first public parks.
In 1906, Trexler hired Meehan to lay out a park on the land, which opened in 1909. West Park features a bandshell, designed by Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, which has long been home to the Allentown Band and other community bands. Soon after, it became apparent that a need existed for recreational facilities for children and young people. Meetings of the Allentown City Council were held about this and several proposals were presented and discussed.
Allen Park, located in the vicinity of Trout Hall, was the first city park in Allentown, although it did not become city property until 1908. A 6.59-acre (26,700 m$^2$) park in what was a community trash pit and sandlot baseball field became Allen Park, the city's first public park established in an upscale area of the city.
In 1912, the city's first public playground was established at Fountain Park. During the summer vacation months, all Allentown School District school grounds are open as neighborhood playgrounds.
Trexler also facilitated the development of Cedar Creek Park, the Allentown Municipal Golf Course and the Trout Nursery in Lehigh Parkway.
Following Trexler's death in 1933, Trexler's summer estate, a 142-acre tract was willed to the City of Allentown and was renamed Trexler Memorial Park. The Harry C. Trexler Trust continues to provide private funding for the maintenance and development of Allentown's public park system.

## List of parks and recreation facilities

The following is a list of city parks and recreation facilities located in Allentown:
* Allen Park
    South 4th and West Union Streets
    Map location: 40°36′05″N 075°27′52″W﻿ / ﻿40.60139°N 75.46444°W﻿ / 40.60139; -75.46444﻿ (Allen Park)
    Part of Trout Hall and Lehigh Country Heritage Museum
* Allentown Municipal Golf Course
    3200 block West Tilghman Street
    Map location: 40°35′49″N 075°32′05″W﻿ / ﻿40.59694°N 75.53472°W﻿ / 40.59694; -75.53472﻿ (Allentown Municipal Golf Course)
    A public 18-hole golf course and clubhouse
* Arts Park
    North 4th and West Court Streets
    Map location: 40°36′14″N 075°28′07″W﻿ / ﻿40.60389°N 75.46861°W﻿ / 40.60389; -75.46861﻿ (Arts Park)
    On Allentown Arts Walk across from Allentown Art Museum, now home to a duo of monumental bronze statues by the French painter and sculptor Jean-Léon Gérôme, "Metallurgical Worker" and "Metallurgical Science", painted in 1903, which celebrates steel workers and the steel-era that was an inluential Allentown-area industry for most of the 20th century
* Earl F. Hunsicker Bicentennial Park
    510 West Linden Street
    Map location: 40°35′15″N 075°28′32″W﻿ / ﻿40.58750°N 75.47556°W﻿ / 40.58750; -75.47556﻿ (Bicentennial Park)
    A softball park, currently home of the Philadelphia Force
* Bucky Boyle Park
    North Front and West Linden streets
    Map location: 40°36′38″N 075°27′22″W﻿ / ﻿40.61056°N 75.45611°W﻿ / 40.61056; -75.45611﻿ (Bucky Boyle Park)
    Two baseball diamonds, large playarea
* Canal Park
    South Albert Street
    Map location: 40°35′56″N 075°26′59″W﻿ / ﻿40.59889°N 75.44972°W﻿ / 40.59889; -75.44972﻿ (Canal Park)
    A large, wooded driving park between Lehigh Canal and Lehigh River with substantial green space
* Cedar Creek Park
    Along Parkway Boulevard, West End of Allentown
    Map location: 40°35′35″N 075°30′40″W﻿ / ﻿40.59306°N 75.51111°W﻿ / 40.59306; -75.51111﻿ (Cedar Creek Park)
    Large park over 90 Acres, from Lake Muhlenburg west to Cedar Crest Boulevard. Developed in the late 1920s by Mayor Malcom Gross, Sr. Includes tennis courts, children's play area, Cedar Beach public swimming pool, Allentown Rose Garden, and large areas for picnics and recreation activities.
* East Side Memorial Little League
    South Bradford and East Maple Streets
    Map location: 40°36′23″N 075°27′02″W﻿ / ﻿40.60639°N 75.45056°W﻿ / 40.60639; -75.45056﻿ (East Side Memorial Little League)
    Baseball diamond
* East Side Reservoir
    South Halstead and East Union Streets
    Map location: 40°36′34″N 075°26′27″W﻿ / ﻿40.60944°N 75.44083°W﻿ / 40.60944; -75.44083﻿ (East Side Reservoir)
    Large area for picnics and recreation activities
* East Side Youth Center
    1140 East Clair Street
    Map location: 40°37′01″N 075°26′11″W﻿ / ﻿40.61694°N 75.43639°W﻿ / 40.61694; -75.43639﻿ (East Side Youth Center)
    Youth Center, baseball, soccer recreation fields
* Fellowship East Playlot
    North 2nd and West Hamilton streets
    Map location: 40°36′20″N 075°27′34″W﻿ / ﻿40.60556°N 75.45944°W﻿ / 40.60556; -75.45944﻿ (Fellowship East Playlot)
    Neighborhood playground
* Fountain Park
    Lehigh Street and Martin Luther King Drive
    Map location: 40°35′52″N 075°27′54″W﻿ / ﻿40.59778°N 75.46500°W﻿ / 40.59778; -75.46500﻿ (Fountain Park)
    Large, drive-thru park with public swimming pool, picnic, and recreation areas
* Franklin Park
    218 North 14th Street
    Map location: 40°36′05″N 075°29′17″W﻿ / ﻿40.60139°N 75.48806°W﻿ / 40.60139; -75.48806﻿ (Franklin Park)
    Former Franklin Elementary School and now a combination children's playground and asphalt parking lot
* Hamilton Park Playlot
    South Ott Street and East Texas Boulevard
    Map location: 40°35′03″N 075°30′28″W﻿ / ﻿40.58417°N 75.50778°W﻿ / 40.58417; -75.50778﻿ (Hamilton Park Playlo)
    Large park with two baseball diamonds, tennis courts, basketball court, a children's play area, and a picnic and recreation area
* Howard Keck Juniata Playlot
    Keck and Juniata Streets
    Map location: 40°35′07″N 075°28′25″W﻿ / ﻿40.58528°N 75.47361°W﻿ / 40.58528; -75.47361﻿ (Howard Keck Juniata Playlot)
    Neighborhood playground and a picnic and recreation area
* Irving Park
    North Irving and East Tilghman streets
    Map location: 40°37′12″N 075°26′25″W﻿ / ﻿40.62000°N 75.44028°W﻿ / 40.62000; -75.44028﻿ (Irving Park)
    Established in 1940, including a city swimming pool, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, and a picnic and recreation area
* Ithaca Playlot
    Ithaca and 31st Street Southwest
    Map location: 40°33′18″N 075°28′36″W﻿ / ﻿40.55500°N 75.47667°W﻿ / 40.55500; -75.47667﻿ (Ithaca Playlot)
    Neighborhood playground, picnic and recreation area
* Jordan Meadows
    West Gordon Street and American Parkway
    Map location: 40°36′43″N 075°27′56″W﻿ / ﻿40.61194°N 75.46556°W﻿ / 40.61194; -75.46556﻿ (Jordan Meadows)
    Large park including tennis and basketball courts, running track, athletic field, wooded areas and picnic areas along Jordan Creek
* Jordan Park
    Michigan Avenue and North Street Extension
    Map location: 40°37′11″N 075°28′39″W﻿ / ﻿40.61972°N 75.47750°W﻿ / 40.61972; -75.47750﻿ (Jordan Park)
    City public swimming pool and a large park with numerous baseball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts, and picnic and recreation areas along Jordan Creek
* Joseph S. Daddona Lake and Terrace
    South St. Elmo and West Union streets
    Map location: 40°35′32″N 075°29′46″W﻿ / ﻿40.59222°N 75.49611°W﻿ / 40.59222; -75.49611﻿ (Joseph S. Daddona Lake and Terrace)
    Formerly Union Terrace Park. Large, 21 Acre park built by WPA over a former mosquito wetland. Park features WPA built grass and stone outdoor amphitheater. Includes Union Terrace Lake, baseball diamonds and recreation fields, also areas for picnicking and recreation.
* Keck Park
    South Austin Street
    Map location: 40°36′07″N 075°26′42″W﻿ / ﻿40.60194°N 75.44500°W﻿ / 40.60194; -75.44500﻿ (Keck Park)
    Driving park loop though wooded area. also large grassy area for picnicking and recreation
* Kimmets Landing (Lehigh Canal)
    Allentown Drive and North Dauphin Street
    Map location: 40°37′32″N 075°27′32″W﻿ / ﻿40.62556°N 75.45889°W﻿ / 40.62556; -75.45889﻿ (Kimmets Landing)
    Former Lehigh Canal lock. Wooded area, parking and small grassy areas for recreation